Tom Scott | |
|---|---|
 Scott at a Beatles convention in 2013 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | Thomas Wright Scott (1948-05-19)May 19, 1948 (age 77) Los Angeles,California, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
|
| Instrument | Saxophone |
| Years active | 1965–present |
| Labels | |
| Formerly of | L.A. Express,The Blues Brothers |
| Website | tomscottmusic |
Thomas Wright Scott (born May 19, 1948)[1] is an American saxophonist, composer, and arranger. He was a member ofthe Blues Brothers and led the jazz fusion groupL.A. Express.
Scott was born inLos Angeles,California, US.[1] He is the son of film and television composerNathan Scott, who had more than 850 television credits and more than 100 film credits as a composer, orchestrator, and conductor, including music forDragnet andLassie.[2]
Tom Scott's career began as a teenager as leader of the jazz ensemble Neoteric Trio, and the band Men of Note.[1][3] After that, he worked as asession musician. In 1970,Quincy Jones said of him: "Tom Scott, the saxophonist; he's 21, and out of sight! Plays any idiom you can name, and blows like crazy on half a dozen horns."[4]
Scott wrote the theme tunes for the television showsStarsky and Hutch andThe Streets of San Francisco.[5] In 1974, with the L.A. Express, he composed the score for theadult animated movie,The Nine Lives of Fritz the Cat.[6] Also, Scott arranged Barbra Streisand’s 1974 LP “ButterFly,” which went Gold. He also played the soprano saxophone solo on the number-one hit single "Listen to What the Man Said" by the bandWings. In 1976, he played the theme "I Still Can't Sleep" inTaxi Driver.[7] He played the featured Lyricon solo on Captain & Tennille’s 1979 hit “Do That To Me One More Time,” which went #1. Scott also composed the soundtrack for 1980'sStir Crazy.[8] In 1982, he collaborated withJohnny Mathis on "Without Us", the theme to the 1980s sitcomFamily Ties and was the opening act for Olivia Newton John on her 1982 Physical North American Tour.[7] He also played thelyricon, an electronic wind instrument onMichael Jackson's "Billie Jean", as well as lyricon and saxophone onGrateful Dead's albumTerrapin Station.
Scott was a founding member ofthe Blues Brothers Band, despite his absence in the two films,The Blues Brothers andBlues Brothers 2000. According to Bob Woodward's account inWired, a biography ofJohn Belushi, Scott left the band after their 1980 tour over a salary dispute. However, he reunited withDan Aykroyd and the Blues Brothers Band in 1988 to record a few tracks forThe Great Outdoors.[9]
Scott led thehouse band on two short-lived late-night talk shows:The Pat Sajak Show in 1989 andThe Chevy Chase Show in 1993. From 1995 to 1998, Scott provided the main title arrangement and additional music for the television seriesCybill.[10] He was music director for the68th Academy Awards in 1996, several Emmy Awards telecasts from 1996 to 2007,Ebony's 50th Birthday Celebration, and thePeople's Choice Awards telecasts.
He has dozens of solo recordings for which he collected 13Grammy nominations (three of which he won). He has numerousfilm and television scoring credits, including composing and conducting the score for the filmConquest of the Planet of the Apes, and appeared on records bythe Beach Boys,Blondie ("Rapture"),Grateful Dead,George Harrison,Whitney Houston ("Saving All My Love for You"),Quincy Jones,Carole King,Richard Marx ("Children of the Night"),Paul McCartney,Joni Mitchell,Eddie Money,Olivia Newton-John,Pink Floyd,Helen Reddy,Frank Sinatra,Steely Dan ("Black Cow"),Steppenwolf, andRod Stewart ("Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?").
He produced two albums for tenor vocalistDaniel Rodriguez.The Spirit of America has sold over 400,000 copies. Scott is also a member of the Les Deux Love Orchestra and has conducted over 30symphony orchestras around the U.S. as music director for Rodriguez. A portion of his song "Today," from his debut albumThe Honeysuckle Breeze, is used as the main sample for the hip-hop classic "They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)" byPete Rock & CL Smooth.
The L.A. Express
The GRP All-Star Big Band
